Sunday, May 30, 2010

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

We have definitely been on a pasta kick lately. And boy, do we love this pasta. It's like a flavor explosion when it touches your tongue. Lemon Pepper, garlic, basil, pepper and did I say lemon?

First you start with some Pancetta. If you don't have Pancetta, bacon will do. But Pancetta is so worth it...

Fry it crisp..

Enters the shrimp...mighty tasty with the pancetta flavor. (I won't use the word grease.)

Season them with a little basil, and let them get slightly brown on each side. Remove from pan.

Add a little olive oil if needed and toss in the garlic. It only needs to saute a minute or less. You don't want it to burn.

Then, throw in your mushrooms with the garlic and enjoy the aroma....WOW.

After the mushrooms are tender, remove those from the pan as well. Let the pan keep it's heat and pour in the wine. This deglazes the pan and gets all those bits off the bottom so they can stick around for the good part - the sauce.

and throw in the pasta. Gently stir and let the pasta soak up the sauce. Toss the shrimp and pancetta in at the last...and enjoy.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

4 ounces Pancetta

8 ounces pasta of choice

6 cloves garlic, minced

Mushrooms, sliced

1 cup Chicken Broth

1/2 cup white wine (drinking wine)

1 lemon, juiced

zest of 1 lemon

Shrimp

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tablespoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut Pancetta into small pieces, saute in large pan. Remove from pan and place shrimp seasoned with basil. Cook about 1-2 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Add olive oil if needed and saute garlic for 1 minute, add mushroom and cook until tender, remove. Pour wine into pan and stir the bottom to deglaze and get all bits off bottom of pan. Add chicken broth, mushroom garlic mixture, lemon juice, butter, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.